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There was a time not so long ago when a performance like this would have us all buzzing and we’d be talking about it for weeks. Now it’s just what we’ve come to expect. That’s the level this team have set for themselves.

It was only a few years ago we were looking up at Arsenal, aspiring to be at their level even though they themselves weren’t actually winning anything big. They were still superior to us though, as were Chelsea, Spurs and United. We’re light years ahead of all of them right now. Further ahead of them all than at any point since the 80s, so much so that I’d be surprised if any of you reading this actually thought Arsenal had a chance against us.

That’s not arrogance, it’s just common sense based on everything we’ve seen over the last couple of years.

Before the game I said to the lads that these are the days we need to savour because they don’t come around too often. For 30 years we’ve been struggling along aspiring to put together a team like we have now. Sometimes we got close but the window closed quickly. What we have now though, it’s truly special.

It’s mad though. You go on social media see people bitching about Wijnaldum or Henderson, or complaining that Lallana is getting five minutes at the end and using that as reason to kick off again about us not signing anyone. I feel as though what this team are achieving isn’t being fully appreciated by everyone.

In some ways I get it. It’s easy to get too wrapped up in the future; what might happen, what we want to happen and what we think needs to be done in order for it to happen. It’s understandable to a degree and I can’t deny that at times I’ve done it myself. But I watched the way we casually swatted Arsenal aside and I just feel that maybe we need to take time to stop and smell the flowers. You know what I mean? We’ve got it pretty fucking good right now.

What we’re being treated to currently is something we’ll look back on in years to come and maybe reflect on it as the best time of our football supporting lives. We probably need a title for that, or failing that another European Cup or two, but we will look back on these days, with all these spanking wins and great performances, and we’ll think “fucking hell, that was something else wasn’t it?”.

We haven’t seen this team lose at Anfield in well over two years. We’ve seen them play in two European Cup finals in as many years. We’re the current European Champions. We lost one game in the league all last season. We’ve won 12 straight league games. And we’ve done all that with a swagger and by playing incredible football. Not every game of course, sometimes the lads have just had to grind it out, like last week at Southampton.

Generally though, if you give Klopp a week to prepare for a game like this, you won’t be disappointed with what you see. Honestly, I knew we’d twat Arsenal. There was not the tiniest doubt in my mind. It’s not even a reflection on them either, well not much. I wouldn’t be surprised if they finished third as they play good football and can score goals. My bravado was not about them and their glaring weaknesses, it was about how good this team of ours is right now.

Arsenal will finish somewhere between third and fifth this season. Under normal circumstances that means they’d be a tough opponent. You can’t take winning for granted against fellow top six sides, unless it’s Arsenal at Anfield. They just don’t match up well against us. The way we play, they literally have no chance against us at Anfield. We’re too fast, too intense, too clever and too talented. They can’t live with it and they know it.

That would explain Emery’s weird approach to the game. Much has been made of him going with a diamond, but it was more the tactics than than the system that surprised me. It seemed as though Arsenal wanted the game played in their final third. They weren’t interested in playing through midfield or getting men forward, they just packed eight outfield players in their final third and tried to pass it around in their own box.

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Deffo agree about people taking it for granted. There were times yesterday when I was blown away by the fluency and near telepathy of the press and the attacking football that stemmed from it.

As Arsenal played so ridiculously deep I was able to notice the intricacies and nuances of our press which I then looked at again when I got home. It’s fascinating to watch how they all read the triggers and then respond to the press of the nearest man.

It it was also clear how they deliberately press on the touchline side of the opponent, shutting out the long ball down the line and forcing them inside where they’ll be faced with another Liverpool player pressing even closer to goal.

Obviously, it’s all designed to pen them back as near to their own goal as possible, but when that was met with Arsenal’s bizarre decision to try and retain possession in their own penalty area even while under pressure, the result was we were utterly dominant.

Overall, it was imperious stuff. In its own way just as impressive as the Barca performance at Anfield. These are great fucking days to be a Red.

5

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No mention of Fabinho's ball for the third goal? Arsenal are on the front foot, pushing Trent into his corner. He plays it out to Fabinho who casually hits a first-time 30-yard daisycutter right onto Mo's foot. Plenty of work to do and all that jazz but the defence-to-attack thing we have with Klopp's Liverpool is just stupendous. Teams think they have things under control for the next few seconds and a few seconds later they're picking the ball out of their net. Best days of our lives.

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........It’s mad though. You go on social media see people bitching about Wijnaldum or Henderson, or complaining that Lallana is getting five minutes at the end and using that as reason to kick off again about us not signing anyone. I feel as though what this team are achieving isn’t being fully appreciated by everyone.

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No mention of Fabinho's ball for the third goal? Arsenal are on the front foot, pushing Trent into his corner. He plays it out to Fabinho who casually hits a first-time 30-yard daisycutter right onto Mo's foot. Plenty of work to do and all that jazz but the defence-to-attack thing we have with Klopp's Liverpool is just stupendous. Teams think they have things under control for the next few seconds and a few seconds later they're picking the ball out of their net. Best days of our lives.

Yup. In the space of three passes we’d beaten Arsenal's attempt to box us in and bypassed their midfield and were straight onto their back line.

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Excellent report Dave bang on the money as usual , I've just watched the opening game of the 16/17 season on BT against the Gooners it was Klopps 1st game in a full season Manes as well .

It was pretty obvious looking back what Klopp was trying to do getting the full backs higher up the pitch using Bobby in the role he plays now the back four bears no resemblance to the well oiled machine it is now.

Clyne Klavan Lovren and the inept Moreno were the back four that day the transformation from then is outstanding and it's all pretty much down to this genius manager we have let's just enjoy the ride people .

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If Guardiola is such a good manager how come the rest of the world has been saying for years that they struggle when Kompany is injured but now he's retried completely this pensioner's bollock on legs hasn't replaced him?

It will just be a few tweaks. Gomez will play at right back I reckon. Milner and Hendo will come into the midfield. Shaq might start but Klopp's main problem up front is Bobby and the very limited cover for him. Playing Mane in there wasn't great yesterday. Maybe he'll try Mo with Shaq on the right.

Isn't the problem less with VAR and more that the referees are fucking shit? How's Marriner not give that without the need to possibly bring VAR into the equation? He had a clear view of it and unless the rules have been binned they're supposed to award fouls/penalties for wrestling manoeuvres in the box.
IMO the clear and obvious error rule is another grey area, almost a stitch-up, to allow referees on the pitch to carry on making the same mistakes they always do and not get pulled up on them.

Scratch that. I’m wrong. It is supposed to automatically review ‘clear and obvious errors’ in four situations - one of which is penalties. I can only assume they didn’t think it was a clear and obvious error. In which case, it’s next to useless.